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Rise of the wasps

 

1st spring/summer in my new home ... and it's turning into a nightmare.

June 12, 2026 I woke to a black wasp in my mesh canopy in my bed with me at 8am.

If that wasn't terryfing enough when I went to look at my balcony to see how it could've gotten in, I seen 2 more in my bedroom window trying to get out. 

 

Dread.

 

Maintenance came and looked around but they couldn't figure out how they got in or where. I suggested in the walls already nesting over winter and their exit got blocked and decided to come in my room. When I moved in the ac window screen holder that goes from my bedroom to the outside balcony had a big gap all around it in the actual brick of the building not just the screen part. 

After they looked around there were 2 more in my bedroom and I had to call maintenance back as one of them was too high on my canopy by the ceiling. They looked around and again couldn't figure out how they were getting in.

 

Pest Control

June 25, 2026 Pest control came after I was denied when I requested them the first time.

Pest control sprayed Doktor Doom Pyrethrin Insecticide Powder directly into my heaters in my living room and bedroom despite me telling them no not if it's toxic. I didn't know they had already sprayed the living room heater. I asked them point blank if it was toxic especially to cats, they lied and said no. I asked if they were sure because I read up on dust's used prior by pest control for this situation with wasps being in the structure of the home, and it was toxic and requried at least 72 hours of not being in the home. They said no but asked if I knew what type of dust it was I said no and they didn't know what they were using. 

Instantly my eyes started burning as he was about to leave. It started progressively getting worse, so I asked again if he was certain it wasn't poisonous cuz my eyes and skin were starting to burn. He then said "actually no, I'm not sure. But I can give you the name of it so you can look it up if you want." That was a huge WTF I thought you were a fucking professional, moment what did you just do. Did you potentially kill my cat? Poison me?

He left before I had time to Google what he said, "DR Doom insecticide dust." 1st thing Google said was YES poisonous to cats, and shouldn't be sprayed indoors at all with people or pets around. 

 

I called the Pest Control number I found since Google said there were 2 versions, Pyrethrin and diatomaceous earth. I knew it wouldn't be, but I hoped it was diatomaceous earth since I know that one, knew it would've been fine. But nope, it was pyrethrin. They said they only use pyrethrin version and that yes it's fatal if cats lick it. But turns out that's not all it's fatal for them to breathe it in, since their liver can't process it.

 

Hotel

Grabbed a bag, checked hotels that were pet friendly and left with my cat to save her life. She was in the bathroom when pest control came but I knew it would spread especially since it caused my skin to feel like it was on fire. My throat, eyes and nose burned too.

 

Ended up in the ER next day like Poison Control suggested if the burning didn't stop or I developed breathing issues or my chest pains worsened. The burning never stopped even with a shower and 15 mins of rinsing my eyes out. Poison control said it was really good I got out of the home but the 30 min exposure was too long. They said I needed to have the heaters professionally cleaned or I would continue being re-exposed and worsen my health. They said the landlord or pest ccontrol would be able to do it. 

 

Tried contacting the landlord (live in a RGI building that's owned by the city), and they refused to not only accomodate me for the hotel costs and to help with accomodation until it's cleaned, but denied to clean the heaters. 

 

Ended up maxing out debt to pay for only 2 nights at the hotel with my cat. The burning never stopped but I had no choice but to go back to my home (washed the floors, trashed all exposed cat items including tower and some of my stuff, and put all fabrics in garbage bags). Despite airing it out, poison control was right, I continued being exposed and symptoms stayed and worsened.

 

Wasp life

The wasps never went away. One attacked my shirt in my bedroom. They were in the living room on the floor by the window. And I could hear them in the bedroom in the heater baseboard still. Had over 13 the entire time. Quite terrifying daily to have to be in a tent in your own home for safety or to sleep. Had to get a outdoor tent in my living room to go over my couch, and sleep in another tent on that couch. Because of my disability with my back I wasn't sleeping well and it was painful. 

Ended up having to spend more money I literally didn't have to get a futon just so I could try to sleep cuz I couldn't sleep in my bedroom where the insecticide dust and wasps were the strongest. At least before the dust I could sleep on my bed inside a tent. Now it's living room only.

 

Landlord

At every turn they refused to help make things better. Denied the urgent medical transfer request, denied accomodations, denied to professionally clean the insecticide dust out of the heaters like both my DR and poison control had said to do and told me not to do because of ongoing symptoms. 

 

I tried advocating for myself reaching out to others but there's nothing they can do when the landlord says no. Apparently not even a note from the ER does anything. I ended up in the ER twice (if you've been around you know I hate going to the hospital for good reason) but the 2nd time I had unexpected severe breathing difficulties from this constant insecticide exposure in my home. ER ended up doing x-ray and found I had calcification in my lungs. The safety data sheet on the insecticide product the landlord FINALLY gave me, confirms all the symptoms I have been experiencing as chemical exposure. It also is cancerous and affects the lungs because it's a talc containing asbestiform fibres. I would put the complete sheet here but it's 12 pages long, I'll put the 1st page so anyone interested can Google. Only thing I don't know is what the concentration was used as Poison control said pest control uses much higher concentrations.

 

To avoid professionally cleaning my unit or the heaters of the chemical spill they exposed me to with this dust, they chose to not tell me they weren't just coming to seal off some possible entry points of wasps, but to yank out my heaters as well. I was told literally the day before with no way to communicate and ask if they were going to PROFESSIONALLY clean out the dust safely first as constantly told by poison control and my DR.

My answer came when the construction people came... No. They YANKED the heaters out of my walls. Dust and more chemicals everywhere. Mind you this stuff coats literally everything I own, including things I rent, like my unit walls, floors, ceiling, etc. That is literally everywhere. I can't possibly get rid of it.

 

What they did was yank them out and swap them for new ones. It was not done carefully. They also carried the one from the bedroom out all the way into the living room over everything including my cat's new tower, and tossed the heaters over the balcony.  

The T6 from the landlord tenant board didn't seem to bother them or change their minds until I included the poison control report, and then instead of doing things safely as advized cuz that would cost money and require me to be accomodated while my unit is cleaned ... they dangerously exposed me and my cat further to this poison dust.

 

Stressed and music

I'm beyond upset. I'm stressed, tired, I don't feel safe. I worry about not just my health (end of July and yes I still burn everywhere, still have the same issues from it as I was told it can cause a anaphalactic reaction and besides it being a natural irritant, I could be severely allergic to it) but I worry about my cat. 

 

I've had to wash all my laundry TWICE. I found out really quick once isn't enough. The dust clumps in it when wet as I seen with my curtains. But I learned real fast do it twice with as little in it as possible especially bedding, or risk instant intense burning.

 

I can't hum, or even try to do singing right now because of how bad everything burns. I don't want to worsen anything health wise by taking giant breaths in to sing either. 

It's upsetting I was literally just 1 short sentence away, "I've been calling," from completing my 1st song, "Hello." I was in the midst of working on "We want it all!" by checking through instrumentals to see what I wanted as I attempted to save the vocals I did for Hello's I've been calling part, but couldn't. The c's were too hard all you could hear were strong cu's/ku's. Then BAM hello wasps. My recording is in my bedroom, and so were the wasps. The wasps didn't limit themselves to my bedroom of course, they were in the living room and bathroom too. I had nothing big enough to cover both me and my music gear so I could safely sing without extreme tension and fear.

Now I can't at all because of the insecticide too.

 

I had successfully completed instrumentals for 8 songs. 8! That's huge for me! I was starting the vocals, and thought I'd have 1 released as I continue on the rest (and possibly end up need mild surgery to shrink my thyroid nodule). But now it's left unheard again.

 

Hoping a miracle comes where I can get a new great place, not infested with wasps or bugs, and can continue again. But that depends on if my landlord ever has a change of heart and helps instead of denying everything, or conviniently losing my urgent medical transfer application that i both faxed and emailed last month. Never told me prior they "never received" it the multiple times I followed up and they said it will take months, and then denied to even have my application processed.

They needed a new one so they can write a official denial letter so I can give it to the legal clinic for next steps. Not sure what those steps will be or if they will lead to a new safe home for me and my cat... but I hope so. I truly hope my cat's life is ok and we get out before any further permanent damage is done.

 

My only last hope is a different place I'm on urgent status for outside the town for this catastrophy. But even as urgent it's years wait. Would love if they go, "hey, come on over, we would love to save you from your horrible prediciment." In which I'd be so thankful and delighted, "Gee thanks I would love that!" and haul outta here and never look back.